Where past meets present

Orissa is a state widely known for its opulent cultural heritage and rich architecture. Geographically, Bhubaneswar is situated in the eastern coastal plains of Orissa, India. It is one of those rare places where tradition matches its steps with modernity, where culture and technology flourish together, where the glorious past is preserved and an illustrious future is in the making. The architecture of the city should reflect the very essence of Bhubaneswar. IMI Bhubaneswar aims at presenting a timeless piece of architecture which bridges the gap between the past and the present cultural and social life of the Orissan people.

Keeping in mind the extreme tropical summer temperatures, the structures have been designed and oriented on site to minimise heat gain and reduce use of electro-mechanical energy. The huge library block has been strategically placed to cast shadows all over the central plaza at different times of the day to create comfortable outdoor spaces in the scorching heat. To substantially cut down heat absorption, large overhangs have been integrated in the design from the very beginning to create huge shadows on the building itself and the outdoor spaces. Interactive zones where students can spill out, unwind or just be inspired are a very essential part of campus design.

A lot of attention has been paid to the spatial quality of the central plaza as it will be the biggest and most popular interactive node of the campus. The water court at the centre acts as a natural exhaust, cooling the air passing over it, and hence making the middle court a solace in the hot summer, providing relief from the hot and sultry tropical climate. The iconic tower in the centre of the plaza acts as a wind breaker and also helps in the evaporative cooling hence controlling the micro-climate of the central plaza.

Locally available laterite and khondalite has been extensively used as materials for the outdoor areas. Using these locally available materials energy spent in transportation have been cut down immensely. Rain water harvesting technologies have been deployed to conserve water. The water bodies throughout the site acts as catchment areas catering for both purposes of water conservation and controlling the micro-climate of the site. As famous architect Frank Gehry said: “Architecture should speak for its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”, this design is an attempt to do just that.